Day trip Malveira market and the beautiful palace of Mafra / Temporarily unavailable

On Thursday mornings, people from all over the region come to the Malveira market to buy and sell fruits, vegetables and other foods. You will also find many market stalls with clothing, furniture and much more. A Portuguese market lets you immerse yourself in the real Portuguese life! And the market of Malveira is one of the oldest and largest in the country. So, don't forget your shopping bag and your wallet!

After you've soaked up the full atmosphere of the market and had a bite to eat, we continue our day trip to Mafra. Here you can visit the palace, a monumental Baroque and Neoclassical castle-monastery and one of the largest royal palaces. In addition to all the works of art and the vastness of the palace, there is another highlight to admire: the library with about 30,000 rare books arranged in tall rococo-style bookcases. Just like in the Biblioteca Joanina in Coimbra, bats keep the books company. They catch insects and thus contribute to the preservation of the historical contents.

In 1711, King João V of Portugal swore that if his wife, Maria Anna, gave birth to a child, he would have a large monastery built. The king had a daughter and Mafra a palace ...

The entire building complex, with a wing for the king and a wing for the queen, has an area of 37,790 m2, 156 stairwells and 1,200 rooms including the monastery section with space for 300 Franciscan monks. The basilica has six historic organs and two carillons.